APRIL 13th, 2005

General Electric Silica Tire Technology To Reduce Fuel Consumption - Readied for Mass Production

GE indicates that it has increased capacity for the production of high technology silanes used for the fabrication of silica tires. The company began production in the third quarter of 2004 and has increased production apparently to meet demand. According to Dr. Ian R. Moore, General Manager at GE's silanes unit,  ""Demand has been very strong for our new NXT silane that helps enable fast and easy dispersion of silica during rubber compounding for silica tires. We are focusing resources on new products and processes, and this is another move in our long-term strategy for growth in the silica tire segment. In fewer than 24 months of design and construction, we developed and deployed an innovative process that delivers vastly increased capacity for silanes."

Wayne Hewett, president and CEO of GE Advanced Materials-Silicones talked about NXT Silane, the patented GE molecule, "Last month we introduced NXT LowV(a) and NXT Ultra-LowV(a) silanes that emit significantly less ethanol during processes that need silanes for coupling unlike materials. GE has widened the manufacturing envelope for mixing silica tire compounds. Our talented scientists and engineers have created and executed a new process to produce NXT silanes. Their innovative process has expanded the NXT silane family with a lower volatile organic compound (VOC) version."

GE has indicated that tire manufacturers and consumers benefit from the silane technology. The tire rolling resistance is estimated to be around 20 percent lower than non-silane tires, helping to provide safer driver control in difficult weather conditions. Additionally improved fuel consumption levels are reported at 5 percent.  Work on the silane process technology is done at  GE's Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York.